title: Predictive factors in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic polyarticular disease affecting about 1% of the adult population of the world, produces significant joint destruction, physical impairment, work disability, and early mortality. Patients with RA may have a slowly or rapidly progressive disease or a self-limited one. To design a rational treatment program for all patients, the clinician must identify early on whether patients are destined to have a rapidly progressive disease. This article reviews socioeconomic, psychological, immunogenetic, and disease-related features that may help to identify such patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Alarcón
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors